[BDSP OU] DD Dragonite balance with Tentacruel and Arcanine
Introduction
This is a balance team built around DD Dragonite. Dragonite can sweep a good portion of the metagame, but it needs help clearing Fairy-types (especially Clefable) and defensive Pokemon like Gliscor and Tangrowth that survive its attacks. This team has both defensive and offensive ways of addressing these weak points. NP Alakazam acts as a secondary win condition.
The team struggles against a certain few Pokemon, and I’d like a second opinion on whether some of the team member choices are optimal.
Importable
Team
Dragonite @ Lum Berry
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Dragon Dance
The main goal of the team is to sweep with this Pokemon. Adamant Dragonite does a lot of damage and doesn’t require too much assistance to set up thanks to Multiscale.
Outrage is used over Dragon Claw to maximise damage. Earthquake is used over Fire Punch because Arcanine can wear down Ground-resistant Steels, and Dragonite really appreciates the extra power against Jirachi and Magnezone.
Lum Berry prevents one bout of confusion from Outrage, or can stop defensive teams from statusing Dragonite. Extreme Speed has +2 priority, which prevents Pokemon like Weavile and Mamoswine from ending a Dragonite sweep (provided Sash is broken).
Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Ability: Liquid Ooze
EVs: 248 HP / 64 Def / 196 Spe
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Sludge Wave
- Rapid Spin
- Knock Off
Tentacruel is an odd choice, but it suits this team well for many reasons. It has the perfect type, stats and moves to combat Clefable, Togekiss, and other special attackers that lack the appropriate coverage. This serves Dragonite greatly. Tentacruel’s high Speed also forces BD Azumarill to use Aqua Jet, failing to OHKO. Tentacruel can also use Rapid Spin, which keeps Multiscale up.
Knock Off and Scald reduce Tentacruel’s passivity with their hurtful secondary effects. 196 Spe is enough to outspeed 252+ Togekiss, plus all other Pokemon with <=80 Speed (which includes a massive chunk of Pokemon that dislike Scald and Sludge Wave). The remaining EVs help Tentacruel use its Ice resistance against Ice Shard users.
I’m aware there are other options like Rotom-W and Starmie that could have a similar effect to Tentacruel. Should I use one of those instead?
Arcanine @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 140 HP / 116 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Close Combat
- Morning Sun
- Will-O-Wisp
Arcanine is a secondary pivot that can switch-in to Skarmory, Scizor and Bronzong, which can cause problems for Dragonite. It also doubles nicely into Magnezone. The combination of Intimidate and Morning Sun allows Arcanine to switch in many times throughout the game.
Flare Blitz is a strong attack that is effective against many defensive Pokemon in the tier. The Attack EVs mean Flare Blitz will always 2HKO 252/252+ Skarmory with Leftovers. Close Combat lets Arcanine take on Heatran. Will-O-Wisp shuts down physical attackers and pairs well with Speed EVs to shut down Lucario, Breloom, Mamoswine, and others.
Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 248 Def / 8 Spe
Impish Nature
- Spikes
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Whirlwind
Skarmory can switch into Mamoswine, Weavile and Donphan (among other things), which are scary for Dragonite and Alakazam. It sets up Spikes, which are important to break Focus Sash for Dragonite and put bulky targets in range.
The goal is for Skarmory to have longevity as a physical sponge, so I use the max bulk set with Leftovers. Sturdy + Whirlwind is a fallback for sweepers that can’t be handled adequately by priority, especially Azumarill. EVs guarantee outspeed on 0 Spe Skarmory and Breloom.
Alakazam @ Focus Sash
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
Alakazam serves as a wallbreaker with the potential to clean late-game using Nasty Plot. It wears down Dragonite checks like Rotom-W, Slowbro, Clefable, and Tangrowth. NP is also a nice way to lead against offence teams as it stops the opponent from getting early momentum.
Focus Sash and Magic Guard mean Alakazam can do an extra attack (or get at least one NP-boosted attack) before fainting. The extra damage from this can enable a Dragonite sweep. Shadow Ball is key coverage for Psychic-types like Latios (which is especially important to weaken so the Scarf set is in range of Extreme Speed). Focus Blast hits would-be switch-ins like Heatran.
Weavile @ Choice Band
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Ice Shard
- Throat Chop
- Poison Jab
Weavile is a secondary breaker, chosen for its control of Lati@s, Alakazam, Garchomp, and Gliscor. These Pokemon can be stalled by Skarmory but won’t go down without real damage. Weavile is also a final source of speed control as the fastest unboosted Pokemon in BDSP OU. It also weakens Blissey.
Choice Band makes Weavile difficult to switch into, even for resisted targets (which go into range of Dragonite’s and Alakazam’s attacks). Ice Shard is a priority attack that can be used without putting Dragonite at risk. Poison Jab is used in the last slot, as Dragonite appreciates any opportunity to wear down Clefable.
Possible issues
This team is over-reliant upon Weavile to beat Pokemon like Nidoking and Garchomp that have wide coverage for the defensive core. This is especially bad considering Weavile can’t hard-switch into anything. Is there a way to change the team so it can switch into these threats?
The team has some trouble with special wallbreakers that can’t be checked by Tentacruel. For example, Latios mostly has its way spamming Draco, especially if Skarmory is low. Can something be changed to fix this?
I also think the team has trouble building momentum. It has some pivots like Arcanine that can apply offensive pressure, but it doesn’t have any move like U-Turn that lets me control momentum myself. Skarmory is especially passive. Maybe this isn’t a problem, seeing as Dragonite is comparatively good at setting up on its own?
This post is an example RMT, connected with this guide about good RMT posts. It is a good example, because:
- The post gives a very clear description of the team’s goals. Raters will know to preserve this goal and will have something to focus their advice around.
- The post clearly shows the teambuilder’s thought process, in terms of why each Pokemon was chosen and how they complement each other. Raters can comment on this thought process.
- The post is very insightful about how the team will address common threats and trends in the metagame, and how that will support the goals of the team. Raters can read this and think (for example) “Heatran covers almost everything they want Tentacruel and Arcanine for”.
- The post is aware of and justifies the unique aspects of the team (whether or not those justifications actually make the team good). Odd EV spreads and team member choices are especially good to address.
- The post is well structured. The introduction sets the scene and tells the reader what they should look for while they read the post. The ending gives a more critical overview of the team, which should give raters something to think about in their feedback. The title helps set the post apart.
- Sprites aren’t just for decoration. It makes it easier to skim the post and find the right thing when you’re scrolling up and down.
- The descriptions aren’t too long. They also don’t waste your time on obvious information like “Scald is STAB”. When the post does explain attributes of moves, it does so to explain why the attributes are desirable. (For example, Lum Berry cures confusion, which is good because of Outrage.)
- The post gives leads for raters to give feedback on, e.g. “Was x a good choice?” and “Do you agree with x?” and “How would you deal with x?” This gives us a clear idea of how to help the person.
- Showdown syntax and the importable are a courtesy, in case people want to test.
